As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by William Boateng (Ghana)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author main idea in the book is to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that “They themselves are makers of themselves” by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage, that mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstances. As the plant springs forth, and could not be without the seed, so every act of man springs from the hidden seeds of thought and could not have appeared without them. Here author is also trying to convey in the book that act is the blossom of thought, a man gardener in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you, use personal examples from your own life.
i. Man is a growth by law and not a creation by artifice, and cause and effect are as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. The growth of man by law which is cause and effects govern the activities of man. Man can not sow the habit of gossip and will never reap the fruits of disappointment and rejection of his friends whenever he goes closer to a friend whom he had once betrayed. My own personal life I have encountered friends who have gossip about me leading to the delay of my academic promotion at work place and I have experience divorce through gossip by my friends.
ii. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts. Is true a man is what he thinks and his character reflects his thoughts. Whenever, I become angry or thinks of negative thoughts, I do experience constipation, headache and usually fail to think logically and also to make right decision in my life. Since man is wholly what he thinks, I therefore take it upon myself to adopt the habit of substituting any negative thoughts with positive ones to make me healthy and happy in my life.
iii. Man is made or unmade by himself. In the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy, strength and peace. Since man is the maker of his life whether good or bad through the process of his thinking. My world of thought has always being to think good and act peacefully towards my relatives, friends and co-workers whenever I come in contact with any one who comes into my life. This idea of man is made or unmade by himself has always being my watch word and continually meditate upon this idea for ages which in fact has transformed and guide me through the journey of life.
iv. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the divine perfection. By the abuse and wrong application of thought he descends below the level of the beast. Since faith without works is dead, so any thought which is not use in a right direction brings suffering and disappointments. In my life I have applied all my abilities and knowledge acquired either through experience or from books, to good use and have found that any thoughts of kindness, patience and love I vibrate heals or gives peace to the trouble heart wherever I found myself in the work place or the market. So I will say good thoughts, yields goods fruits.
v. As a being of power, intelligence and love and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency, by which he may make himself what he wills. Yes, man holds the power to be intelligent, loving and power of self-control. I know and believe this idea of James Allen, that man holds the key to every situation and transforming power to make himself a chicken or an eagle to fly high with laurels. I personally have experience this idea, by starting as a Typist in life and pursuing other courses to obtain a Post-graduate Certificate in Business studies from Trinity and All Saints University College, Leeds, so these attest to the fact that man himself holds the key to transform himself.
vi. Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mind of his soul. That he is the maker of his character the molder of his life and the builder of his destiny, he may unerringly prove, if he will watch, control and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others and upon his life and circumstances, linking cause and effect by patient, practice and investigation. Through hard work, persistence and honesty in life, I was able to face all the challenges facing my life, but since one can not say that his/her problems can end, as well as I am alive, through the idea of the law of cause and effects. I do meet challenges and problems as a stepping stones to achieve success and peace, so in my personal life I see problems as blessing and see blessing as a preparation to meet the big problems ahead. The day I experience divorce in my life and when my work nearly falls on the rocks, I then understood the meaning of problem, which I have to face cheerfully and calmness other wise such problems could have sent me to the mental homes, but instead by the power of the great forces, I managed to over come such situation with joy and peace of mind.
vii. Man is always the master, even in his weakest and most abandoned state. But in his weakness and degradation he is foolish master who misgoverns his “household”. This idea is most important in my life, because I have always realized that even in my weakest and abandoned state, there is always something within me which directs my activities, to success or failure, which depends on how wise I go about my life. Since, I want to be master of affairs I always pray and meditate to the Supreme God and His sparks within me to continue to guide my affairs and lead me through all my undertakings in this life.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas by the right choice and true application of though man ascends to the divine perfection. By the abuse and wrong application of thought he descends below the level of the beast. This is true by the right choice and right application of thought one attains perfection. I have always practice the virtue of honesty, kindness and service to humanity and in view of these virtues my neighbours, co-workers and those around me have given good testimonial about my life, as any action I took has always being to render service to humanity.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild, but whether cultivated or neglected it must, and will bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed – seeds will fall therein and will continue to produce their kind.” This statement is important to me because, I know that my mind is a garden, whatever seed I plant into my mind, which is my garden, I will harvest the same kind of that seed. So I know when I send thoughts of evil to any one the same type of evil followed me in due course. So, I have always made up my mind to put in good thoughts of any kind, in to my garden to enable me serve humanity with kindness and peaceful atmosphere. Another quote says; “Thought and character are one, and as character can only manifest and discover itself, through environment and circumstances, the outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. This does not mean that a man’s circumstances at any given time are an indication of his entire character, but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought element within himself that, for the time being, they are indispensable to his development. I have to say that my life has been based upon watchful thoughts or self control which has made me to build a strong will to develop a strong character and also to be able to serve the world with integrity and honesty.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
I am not in agreement with the following statement which I have read over and over again with out getting the meaning or what the author will like me to believe that “Every man is where he is by the “ law of his being”, the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err. This is just as true of those who feel “ out of harmony” with their surrounding as of those who are contented with them.” Can I ask , where is the invisible hand of the Supreme being determining one destiny?, if man is law unto himself and determine the environment he/she will like to stay through out his/her life time, then don’t you think all of us will like to choose comfort and peaceful homes, parents, families and country when we are destine to return to this life time. I do not think all of us want to be born at a particular country where frequent war, flood and other natural disasters are the order of the day. So my question is what is that “Law of our Being” as stated by the author? I know we have two laws under the Sun, the Physical and Spiritual Laws.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
There were no exercises contained in the book, but the ideas in the book is well noted and I will emphasized the ideas obtained from the book have awaken my spiritual potentials and now aware of how to direct my thoughts to useful and good action.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
I came across statement, like “Every thought – seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstances. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts, bad fruit.” My comments is this statement is that at times good thought can bring about bad fruit in your present environment, this can be traced to one previous life existences to bear bad fruits to pay or clean the bad deeds, that person action might have caused in the past and as a result reaping the bad fruits in his present life and one can change his future life, if presently his thoughts are noble and good.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to under stand? 10
D Would you recommend it to other? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by William Boateng (Ghana)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author is trying to say that most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight – how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though it was not eating that mattered, but flight, more than anything else, Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly. This kind of thinking, he found, is not the way to make one’s self popular with other birds. Even his parents were dismayed as Jonathan spent whole days alone, making hundreds of low-level glides experimenting. In view of this, the author main idea is to convey a message for humanity to know that man should not live by food alone, that there is something beyond food, which man should seek and test for spiritual up-liftment. But victory was short-lived. The instant he began his pullout, the instant he changed the angle of his wings, he snapped into that same terrible uncontrolled disaster and at ninety miles per hour it hit him like dynamite. Jonathan Seagull exploded in mid-air and smashed down into a brick hard sea. As he sank low in the water, a strange hollow voice sounded within him. There is no way around it. I am a Seagull. I am limited by nature. If I were meant to learn so much about flying, I would have charts for brains. If I were meant to fly at speed, I’d have a falcon’s short wings, and live on mice instead of fish. My father was right. I must forget this foolishness. I must fly home to the flock and be content as I am, as a poor limited seagull.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life?
i. Most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight – how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight. More than anything else, Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly. This shows that the Divine Spirit within man will never be satisfied with only material gains, that the Spirit within man always strived to go back to his creator one day. My experience in life without, the Great Spirit assistances, I could not have overcome the challenges and problems facing me as a person.
ii. As he sank low in the water, a strange hollow voice sounded within him. There’s no way around it. I am a Seagull. I am limited by my nature. If, I were meant to fly at speed. I’d have a falcon’s short wings and live on mice instead of fish. My father was right, I must forget this foolishness. I must fly home to the flock and be content as I am, as a poor limited Seagull. This idea is trying to make one to be humble and to be aware that, he is just a human and can be subjected to failure or disappointments when the need arise. I always see myself as someone who can face temptation and troubles, hence I do go through life with patience and vigilant.
iii. The voice faded and Jonathan agreed. The place for a Seagull at night is on shore and from this moment forth, he vowed he would be a normal gull. It would make everyone happier. He pushed wearily away from the dark water and flew toward the land, grateful for what he had learned about work-saving low – attitude flying. But no, he thought. I am done with the way I was, I am done with everything. I learned, I am a Seagull like very other Seagull, and I will fly like one. So he climbed painfully to a hundred feet and flapped his wings harder, pressing for shore. He felt better for his decision to be just another one of the flock. There would be no ties now to the force that had driven him to learn, there would be no more challenge and no more failure. And it was pretty, just to stop thinking and fly through the dark, toward the lights above the beach. As Seagull or human being my duty is to make every one I countered happier and adapt to any situation and the people I come into contact with in the journey of life. I personally have encountered series of problems through the journey of life and have fought and come through all obstacles and fly through the dark, toward lights above the beach.
iv. His vows of a moment before were forgotten swept away in that great swift wind. Yet he felt guiltless, breaking the promises he had made himself. Such promises are only for the gulls that accept the ordinary. One who has touched excellence in his learning has no need of that kind of promises. In life one makes promises and break it the following day, so in my personal life I hate making promises to my friends. I felt to be true to myself, to be firm and focus on any task I sincerely know I can do and accomplish in a due time.
v. Jonathan Seagull spent the rest of his days alone, but he flew way out beyond the far cliffs. His one sorrow was not solitude, it was that other gulls refused to believe the glory of flight that awaited them, they refused to open their eyes and see. He learned more each day. He learned that a streamlined high-speed dive could bring him to find the rare and tasty fish that schooled ten feet below the surface of the ocean, he no longer needed fishing boats and stale bread for survival.
vii He learned to sleep in the air, setting a course at night across the off shore min, covering a hundred miles from sunset to sunrise. With the same inner control, he flew through heavy sea-fogs and climbed above them into drizzling clear skies – in the very times when every other gull stood on the ground, knowing nothing but mist and rain.
vii. He learned to ride the high winds far inland, to dine there on delicate insects. What he had once hoped for the flock, he now gained for himself alone, he learned to fly, and was not sorry for the price that he had paid. Jonathan Seagull discovered that boredom, fear and anger are the reason that a gull’s life is so short and with these gone from his thought, he lived a long fine life indeed. Yes, boredom, fear and anger is indeed the vices which send people to their grave. I do adopt a life of care free which means none of these things moved me. I do pray daily for God Almighty to protect me and maintain me every morning to evening and continue to guide me.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
As the saying goes most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight – how to get from shore to food and back again. This statement actually made to know that in life, I am just not here to eat and go about my daily life without aiming to be at the top. I always want to get the opportunity to developed my knowledge and skills in order to climb the ladder of leadership and to help humanity and the world. I do learn daily from my mistakes and any problems which come to my way. I am always conscious in taking care and time whenever I decided to take any actions or plans in life. The idea as he sank low in the water, a strange hollow voice sounded within him. Actually there is a still voice within me, which I called intuition always directs my way and protect me against all type of any negative attacks, this voice is the only trusted friend I listen to, and to make any judgment as dynamic leader. I do felt, I am not alone as my ways is usually being directed by forces unseen by me to do what is right. This idea has confirmed what I already knew to be the indwelling spirit. I also learnt from the book that irresponsibility does not pay, which I totally agreed with the author. Anytime I decided not to be responsible to my actions, I felt great lost to humanity, I experience a great problems which at times make me more responsible to take up tasks which someone may ignored to do. I know a responsible life is worth living, so I have told myself, to be responsible to any task which I may given to do or implement at any situation. I also supported the idea that boredom, fear and anger are the reason that our life is so short. I have always substitute the negative thought of fear with love, which in my personal life has make me too strong and dynamic, I never let in boredom, fear and anger be my friend. I make myself happy in a situation where I see pains, sorrow and rejected. Never shall I accept any negative thought of fear and anger in my thoughts.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
Quoting the author “When Jonathan Seagull joined the flock on the beach, it was full night. He was dizzy and terribly tired. Yet in delight he flew a loop to landing, with a snap roll just before touch down. When they hear of it, he thought, of the Breakthrough, they’ll be wild with joy. How much more there is now to living; Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s a reason to life? We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free, we can learn to fly. Life has a reason why I was born at a location in Ghana, what I should do to help my country is work hard to banish ignorance, fear and anger from my life to enable go through life with patience and honesty.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
There are ideas which seems unclear to me, example are “Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s a reason to life? And another statement like when Jonathan Seagull joined the flock on the beach, it was full night. He was dizzy and terribly tired. Yet in delight he flew a loop to landing, with a sharp roll just before touch down. When they hear of it, he thought of the breakthrough, they will be wild with joy. Instead of our drape slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s a reason to life. This statement by the author is trying to tell us that there is more to life than playing around aimlessly. If I understood clearly what the author is trying to say on the second idea about breakthrough in life, actually brings joy to any one who had experience any forms of breakthrough in material forms, I believe there is spiritual breakthrough in life also which I do aspire to achieve in future. I have observed to my dismay that majority of people pursue the material breakthrough than the spiritual break through, so I am yet to differentiate the type of break through the author stated befall Jonathan Seagull.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the read to complete? If so, did you complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
The book did not contain any exercises which I am suppose to do, but the book contain unimaginable ideas which has actually shaped my ways and helpful to me to broaden my knowledge in leadership skills. I really find the book very helpful and have already recommended this particular book to my relatives, co-workers and friends.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
In the course of reading through the book, I came across a statement like “As he sank low in the water, a strange hollow voice sounded within him. There’s no way around it. I am a Seagull. I am limited by my nature. If I were meant to learn so much about flying. I’d have charts for brains. If, I were meant to fly at speed. I’d have a falcon’s short wings, and live on mice instated of fish. My father was right. I must forget this foolishness. I must fly home to the flock and be contempt as I am, as a poor limited Seagull. Yes, I think the author is right to say that one has to identify himself to know where he or she belongs to, the level of his consciousness and to know that in everything there is limit to every situation in life. I do identify myself as a Spirit with great purpose in life to accomplish.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10